What You Mean To Me
by TheHolyDiver
Summary: Joel and Ellie have settled into Jackson, as their relationship grows stronger, so does Ellie's with a strange new face. Will this mysterious drifter find a place to call home?
1. Chapter 1

Dark storm clouds rolled in from the early morning horizon, preventing the sun from bathing the earth in its radiant rays. Cracks of thunder boomed, illuminating the dark backdrop with a brilliant hue of purples and blues, echoing throughout the valley below, and warning the inhabitants of Jackson, Wyoming of the impending storm to come.

Joel was sitting on the porch of his brother Tommy's small home, he and his younger counterpart having just arrived the day before, were weary from their travels. Joel watched the gray clouds tumble and churn like a discolored ocean, satisfied that the young redhead was sleeping in late. Of all the adversities she had to endure in her short life, many of which she struggled to recover from, she more than deserved the rest.

He hoped that this would be the safe haven he had been searching for for the last two decades. No more bouncing around from zone to zone, no more roaming the treacherous roads that were infested with ravenous creatures both beast and human, but more importantly he hoped that Jackson would prosper for Ellie's sake.

She needed a stable, permanent home. losing a mother at birth and practically having to raise yourself was no way for a child to be brought up. She also needed a father, and after what happened in the burning restaurant, where her innocence was left behind along with the filth that masqueraded as a human, he decided he would place himself in that role for her. After caring for her for a year he became very emotionally attached to her, always wanting her to stay close, and constantly checking her over for any sort of injuries every time they had a close call. But with those feelings of paternal care also came fear, he was terrified at each moment that she wasn't in his line of sight, pleading to God that history won't repeat itself. It's why he single handedly slaughtered every Firefly in Saint Mary's back in Utah with not a single thought as to if maybe they had children too. All that mattered was the fact that they were going to kill his baby girl for what they claimed was a great cause. His blood boiled with rage at the mere thought.

He didn't lose any sleep over the bloodbath left behind at St. Mary's. All the lives he took in a brutal manner, such as driving a scalpel into a doctor's throat, he didn't even think twice about. But the lie, it was the only thing he regretted, deceiving her caused guilt to gnaw at his insides, twisting his guts around his spine, and making his heart swell so much that it felt like it would burst from his chest at any moment. But he knew telling her the full truth would only send her spiraling down a self destructive path inflicted by her own survivor's guilt.

It took every fiber of his being not to fall to his knees after she revealed to him her doleful, and tragedy filled background. She poured her heart out and gave him her every ounce of trust, whilst he was internally being ripped apart by his own culpability, but he ultimately chose guilt over grief. It was a pipe dream to believe that a ragtag militia could be successful in procuring a vaccination, and even then would they not use it for manipulation, for power over all who wished this nightmarish existence to end.

In all reality, the true reason he saved her was because she deserved life. After taking so much as a small child, from malnourishment to depravity of any kind of affection, and everything in between, he felt it was destiny to give to her a proper upbringing, as if fate plopped her into his life because she needed guidance and nurturing, and he, to regain his humanity. She truly chipped away the rough edges of his heart, bringing out the loving persona that not one person in existence had seen since the loss of his daughter Sarah. It only showed just how much the adorable little redhead meant to him. If damning the rest of humanity was the price to pay, then so be it.

He wasn't going to let those bastards, who didn't really deserve to live anymore than he did, take away her opportunities for life, love, and happiness. He wanted to hear her laugh fill the room, and even to hear those god awful jokes, he wanted to see her glow with pride when she learned new skills. He yearned to see her find love, and maybe, possibly, walk her down the aisle.

His mood that mirrored the weather began to shift as he imagined her, a grown beautiful woman in long white dress, with a smile across her face. He imagined himself all gray and old, with her presenting to him a newborn baby that _she_ brought into the world. He couldn't let them take that from her, especially Marlene who was supposed to be her protector.

He decided no one but him was suited for that role anymore, he was going to be her father, he was going to take care of her from now until the day he no longer draws breath. Then on that day he'll die a happy old man, knowing he did right by this girl who had become his daughter, and he'll go back home to Sarah, whom will be waiting for him, and her sister.

He heard the sound of a screen door swing open behind him, interrupting his thoughts as Tommy came out onto the porch with two steaming mugs of coffee, handing one to Joel.

" 'Preciate it little brother."

"No problem, that girl of yers, sleeps like a rock I tell ya."

Joel chuckled, "That's good, she really deserves it after all she's been through."

Tommy shifted uncomfortably as they sat on the steps, "Listen you don't gotta tell me anything now, but when yer ready I'd like to know what happened with the Fireflies.'

"Sure thing baby brother", they sat there in a comfortable silence slurping on the warm beverage until the rain hailed down upon them.

* * *

The repetitive pattering of the rain thrummed on the tin roof of the small one story house, stirring Ellie and Maria out of their slumber.

"Morning", Maria greeted, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Ellie let out a yawn, "Morning to you too."

"Looks like the men are already up, how about some breakfast?"

"Sounds good to me", Ellie replied.

Ellie pulled her hair back into a ponytail before leaving the master bedroom where they slept with Tommy and Maria. Luckily they happened to have a futon, although uncomfortable it was much more pleasant than the cold, hard floors she became accustomed to over the span of a year. It comforted her more that she shared her sleeping space with Joel, he always made her feel protected with his large form wrapped around her smaller one. They hadn't begun to do that until the winter's brutally frigid temperatures set in, where it was just for warmth, but it instantly became an ongoing habit.

She walked into the kitchen where she saw Tommy and Joel sitting at the small table tucked away into the corner, laughing and reminiscing about the world before, many subjects of the conversation she had no understanding of.

"Mornin' kiddo."

"She's alive", Tommy joked, evoking laughter from everyone in the cramped kitchen.

"How does bacon and eggs sound to everyone ", Maria asked.

"Sounds mighty good to me", said Joel

"Hell yeah", Ellie exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air.

Maria pulled eggs from the fridge and bacon from the freezer, she cracked the egg on the edge of a frying pan, plopping the yolk onto its surface. Within seconds it began to sizzle, permeating the air with a pleasant aroma that caused the kitchen dwellers'stomachs to rumble. After a few minutes she had served everyone a plate of food to which they all expressed their gratitude, they all began to eat but no one could match the insatiable appetite of the young girl sitting at the table. She looked up self-consciously at everyone staring at her, swallowing her bit of egg.

"What?"

Joel let out a chuckle as he refocused his attention to his own plate, taking small forkfuls, savoring the flavor. Maria truly was a miracle worker when it came to a good meal, seasoning the eggs to perfection leaving a slightly spicy aftertaste in his mouth from the pepper. But of course being a Texan, he was fond of foods more on the spicy side, but nothing could beat a rack of ribs smothered in barbecue sauce, and a cold Bud Light in his book.

"I was gonna suggest givin' y'all the grand tour today, but as you can see the weather ain't permittin' that", Tommy said dissapointedly.

"That's just fine Tommy, I think Ellie an' I can handle a few more nights on that futon."

"We're sorry by the way, about the futon, we would've prepared something had we known you were arriving" Maria said.

"I told her we shoulda had a guest bed or somethin' cause I just knew y'all would show up sooner or later. "

"You guys should've seen him, he watched the road for months waiting for you two to appear", Maria explained.

"Well I'm flattered baby brother", Joel joked.

"I told ya there was a place here for you and her, y'all are kin, and family needs to stay together these days."

Ellie stopped in mid chew when she heard Tommy's statement, a tickle of warmth going through her. The realization dawned on her that every person in the kitchen had accepted her as family, something she never thought she would ever be graced with in such a cruel, and uncaring world. She'd already come to view Joel as a father, so she assumed that would place Tommy and Maria in the aunt and uncle role, she openly welcomed it, finding it easy to think of them as uncle Tommy and aunt Maria. A giant grin stretched across her face as she delved back into the warm meal prepared for her, the rest of the morning passed in silence as they all ate their respective meals.


	2. Chapter 2

Tommy hadn't been escorting the two more than ten minutes and they were already up to their knees in mud. After the clouds parted around midday, the previous downpour resulted in extremely muddy conditions, Jackson's main roads mainly being unpaved did nothing to help the predicament. Joel was immensely impressed with the ever expanding establishment that his little brother helped to build, he was truly proud of the man his brother had become. Joel let the downfall of society change him into a cold blooded animal, he let it mold him like a potter molds a fresh lump of clay, but instead of a beautiful sculpture he was nothing more than a broken mirror. Tommy was polar opposite, he wanted to help people while everything fell apart around them, he remembered how in one of the darkest times of his life, back in the triages, he only stood there letting grief pull him down into insanity. Tommy had sat with the people who sobbed over the people they lost or couldn't find, one he remembered in particular was an elderly woman whose husband; who happened to be a vietnam veteran, she had been split up with while he attempted to help people out of the city. Tommy sat in the chair across from her, surrounded by moans, cries, and death, and held her hands in his while she weeped, assuring her that her husband would return to her because that's what fine soldiers like her husband did.

There was no doubt that Tommy was a better man than him, Joel never could've accomplished half the things his brother did, Jackson County was proof of that. As they trekked down the muddy road Joel looked around, as he did so he noticed a feeling emerge in the pit of his stomach that he hadn't felt for a long time: Hope. Houses were immaculate on today's standards, yards housed large crops such as towering stalks of corn, and other various plants like carrots, and potatoes. Parking lots had been tore up to facilitate more crops, and what used to be a community park in the center of town was converted into an active grazing field, complete with a barn and stables.

"This place here… it's amazing", Joel said in awe.

"It wasn't easy, this place started out with Maria's family and a couple of other folks holed up in an apartment complex, eventually they were able to clear it out, and then the walls came up", Tommy replied.

"Have to admit, can't deny the view", Ellie piped up.

Joel pulled her to his side, reveling in the immense joy he felt at that moment, it felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He finally had a home where no one was shot in the street, where people weren't being held out on for their rations, and more importantly he had a second chance, a second chance that so happened to be cradled to his hip.

"No… you sure can't."

* * *

Tommy led them to a row of storage units, pulling out a key ring that was attached to his belt, he began to flip through the various keys until he let out a grunt of approval at finding the correct one. He undid the padlock on the steel roll up door, pulling it up into the air, revealing a full room of clothes and other accessories.

"Every newcomer gets to have a pick, we only ask that in order to keep our supplies from runnin' out that if you take somethin', you leave somethin', first time's on the house though", Tommy said with a smile.

Joel glanced at Ellie staring in awe at the amount of clothes, she returned his glance as if silently asking for his permission.

"Go on, find somethin' ya like", Joel said.

Ellie rushed inside the small nine by sixteen foot storage unit, and began rifling through the racks and hangers, letting out the occasional ooh and ahh at a garment that caught her eye.

"She reminds me a lot of her, y'know", Tommy pointed out.

"Yeah, does me too", Joel responded with a ghost of a smile on his face.

"That girl means everything to ya doesn't she", Tommy asked.

"She sure does, she helped me to feel human again," Joel replied.

"She might not be blood, but by God is she family", Tommy stated, "Go on now, find yourself somethin' ya like."

Joel chuckled as he stepped forward into the wide room, his boots thumping on the concrete floor made an echo that reverberated off the sheet metal walls. He more carefully picked through the men's shirts, impressed with the amount of larges they were able to find as he eyed a blue flannel shirt that he fancied, as well as two t-shirts. As he was about to step out of the room something caught his eye, looking from side to side as if about to do something illegal, he quickly snatched a pair of tan, rubber soled moccasin slippers. Ellie as well found a decent pile of clothes she liked, she even managed to find a pair of hiking boots that fit perfectly, glancing down at her hole-filled Converse she was glad she found them.

"Did you git everything ya want", Joel asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm just happy to have found new jeans, my old pair had more stitches than the Frankenstein monster", Ellie snarked.

Joel chortled at the young red-heads remark, tousling her hair as Tommy locked up the storage unit.

"Y'all follow me, I got somethin' I've been savin' just for the two of ya'", Tommy said.

"Lead the way dude", Ellie replied.

They trudged through the mud for a while until they reached the outer edge of town, Ellie and Joel found themselves standing before a small, white, two story house. The house had a gable style tin roof, green shutters on the windows, and a small deck with a porch swing. Tommy opened the screen door and unlocked the thick wooden door, he swung it open, motioning with his hand for them to come inside.

"Welcome home big brother", Tommy said warmly.

"Tommy… I don't know what to say", Joel said awestruck.

"Just say thanks", Tommy replied smartly, placing the house key in his hand, "I told you there was a place here for ya."

"Wow, this is ours", Ellie asked excitedly, letting her childlike wonder surface.

"Reckon it is baby girl, welcome home", Joel opened his arms and she wasted no time in closing the gap between them, pressing her small frame into him. She'd probably never admit it out loud, but this was her most favorite place in the world, in the protective embrace of the man she'd come to view as her father.

"Maria and I will be around later to see how y'all are settled in, 'til then enjoy", Tommy said, he and Joel shared a warm hug before he departed.

"Y'know this is great and all but we're missing one thing", Ellie stated matter-of-factly.

"And what would that be", Joel asked sarcastically, already anticipating her answer.

"Dinner."


	3. Chapter 3

"What is this", Ellie asked with a look of disgust on her face.

"Shit on a shingle", Joel replied.

"The name fits", she remarked.

"Don't knock it 'til you try it, when Tommy and I was kids we practically lived on this stuff,"

Ellie eyed the toasted bread that was topped with chipped beef and gravy, not quite sure if she trusted Joel's concoction. She broke a tiny piece off with her fork, slowly putting it in her mouth, not at all expecting the shock to her tastebuds. Though the name was no comfort she had to give credit where it was due, it was pretty damn delicious.

"Mmm", Ellie moaned.

"Told ya'", Joel chuckled.

Ellie began to tear into the meal Joel had prepared for her, she had to admit Joel was a fine cook, but now that he had proper utensils and such, his skill was astounding. Of course, Joel having been a single father had to've learned a thing or two in the culinary department.

"Christ girl, you might wanna try chewing your food", Joel joked.

"Dis ish shum good shit", Ellie said with a mouth full of food. Joel let out a chuckle at her complete ignorance to common table manners.

"Well I guess we won't have to worry 'bout leftovers", Joel remarked.

Ellie cleaned up the last remaining scraps on her plate before unleashing a loud belch.

"Ahh, beat that old man."

Joel squinted his eyes at her, he stood up straight holding out a finger with a strange look on his face if to say, "Wait for it, wait for it", then she heard his stomach rumble as it crawled up his throat. Joel sucked in a breath before opening his mouth to release a rumbling burp. Ellie exploded into a fit of giggles, wiping at the tears sliding down her cheeks from laughing so hard.

"Don't go thinkin' you can beat your old man now", Joel stated.

"You made that pretty clear", Ellie said in between giggles, her stomach aching.

"Why don't we do up these dishes, than we'll see what kind of entertainment Tommy provided us", Joel offered.

"Sounds like a plan Stan", Ellie goofily replied.

They both rose from their spots at the small dinner table, bringing their plates to the sink, after washing them they moseyed to the living room. Joel leant down to thumb through the movie cabinet, only finding a few selections before grabbing one excitedly.

"No fuckin' way."

"What, what is it", Ellie asked.

"I thought I'd never see this again", Joel said eyes full of wonder.

In Joel's hands he held a copy of a movie that him and Tommy loved when they were kids, the man was their role model growing up.

"Ellie you're about to watch one of the best movies ever made."

"Lemme see", Ellie said, snatching the movie out his hands.

"What the hell is Smokey and the Bandit?"

* * *

Joel sat on the couch with Ellie curled up in his lap, he was right, she loved the movie, mostly because of the hound-dog Fred, but the movie made her let out a bark of laughter here and there. As the last scene began to show where Burt Reynolds was talking to Buford T. Justice while he was right behind him, Joel heard slight wheezing noises. He looked down in his lap to see Ellie out cold, he couldn't hold back the smile that quirked the corners of mouth up even if he wanted to. He clicked the tv off with the remote and looped his arm under her legs, climbing the stairs towards her room. Just as he was about to turn the doorknob he hesitated, instead turning around towards his own room, placing her delicate little body on the mattress next to him.

He rubbed her diminutive fingers with his much larger ones before stroking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"G'night baby girl."

"Night daddy", she mumbled in her slumber.

Joel was a grown man, but in that moment he nearly broke, he pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her protectively in a paternal embrace. There was no place on Earth he'd rather be than right here, he'd spent twenty years full of grief and depression, blaming God, and rebuking him. But now he found himself internally expressing his gratitude for the little girl that he held in his arms. His grandfather told him once when he was young that when the good lord took something from you, he would give something back, he never believed that more until this moment. He matched his breathing with hers, feeling his eyelids begin to grow cumbersome before finally succumbing to much needed sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Short chapter I know, but I wanted something a little mushy full of father daughter feels.**


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